im new to shmumps and i had a few questions

[janrodricks]

ive been reading about them for a few days now, and im extremely interested in trying some out. all i have is a dreamcast, though.

the questions:
what would be a good game to start with?

does the ps2 have a good enough selection of shmumps to warrant getting either a domestic or japanese ps2?

hmm i thought i had more...but maybe i will later. any help with this would be greatly appreciated

[Neon]

In reverse order...

Yes, a Japanese PS2 is a very worthwhile purchase. All the stuff on PSone, and a lot of good exclusives for itself.

A good Dreamcast shooter...I'd start with Gunbird 2 and Ikaruga. Mars Matrix is also good, better than arcade perfect in every respect except graphics.

[Diabollokus]

Giga wing for the dreamcast ain't to bad either.

[BulletMagnet]

Welcome to the forum.

For the DC, the US versions of the original Giga Wing and Ginbird 2 can be picked up relatively cheaply...Mars Matrix and Giga Wing 2 are a bit pricier, but not too bad. If you decide to import, imho a lot of the games aren't quite worth what you'll pay for them (though most disagree with me on that), but if you can find Ikaruga, Border Down, or Zero Gunner 2 for a good price then go for 'em, though Psyvariar 2 and Chaos Field aren't too bad either. Trizeal I haven't played yet, so I can't comment, though most people who have seem to like it; Shikigami no Shiro 2 is very good on PS2, so the DC version is probably quite nice as well.

If you get a PS2 for shmupping, try to grab a Japanese one, as most of the shmups for it are Japan-only, and modding a PS2 can be a pain, supposedly. It also pretty much eliminates the need for you to get an import PS1, since you can play the nifty import PS1 shmups on it.

[CMoon]

A modded PS2 would even be better. All US and Japanese PS1 & PS2 games. This has become one of the best shmup consoles ever with a massive selection of titles.


If you want to get a quick jump on shooters though, get a Genesis; there are dozens of shmups which sell for about $5 a piece, and even some of the most expensive titles (MUSHA) still don't sell for much money compared to new imports or rare psx/saturn titles..

[iatneH]

For a beginner, I think Shikigami no shiro II would be a great introduction. I played the first one already, but I find part II to be very approachable, with the difficulty ramping up nicely in stage 3.
Plus with a bunch of different characters, you'll get your money's worth of play options.

[IlMrm]

Welcome to the forum.

For the DC, the US versions of the original Giga Wing and Ginbird 2 can be picked up relatively cheaply...

Indeed. Gunbird 2, best eight bucks I ever spent.

[RoninBuddha]

i myself own a DC (and still play it more than my ps2)

for DC, i'd go for SnS2, Gunbird2, ZeroGunner2, and of corz, Ikaruga... there are quite a handful which are good for the DC

yes, a PS2 is worth it, cuz mos of the great new shmups are released for PS2... and, do get a Japanese PS2.. or get it modded... plus, you get to play PS1 games... which is also a great system for Shmups...

[sjewkestheloon]

i'd try to get mars matrix first and foremost as, although it's very tough, and you will die a lot, it has a load of extras. although now i'm happy to play for 1cc or just points, i found shmups initially frustrating as they give little sense of progress until you are familiar with the format. in mars matrix however your score constantly adds up and you can spend the points to unloack a hell of a lot of stuff. this includes extra creds and ships, as well as strategy run throughs and score attack stages etc. one of my favourites still today.

[janrodricks]

thanks for all the help everyone

i think ill probably just go with a japanese ps2 instead of modding. but i was just on playasia and the ps2s are like 280 =/. can i get a japanese one for cheaper?

oh and i just downloaded dodonpachi for mame (ive heard alot about the donpachi games) and im kind of confused. for one, what does button 3 do. and uh...how are you supposed to play? haha. i dont understand how you can be expected to live for that long, unless button 3 does something awesome i dont know about. i heard in some games theres a reflect or suck in move you can do, is that the case here?

[jp]

For DC look into:
Border Down - Best horizontal shmup ever.
Mars Matrix - One of the best vertical shmups ever.
Ikaruga - Damn fun game, though a tad easy.
Trizeal - Old school shooting love.

[mannerbot]

In Dodonpachi the whole point of the game is to run into as many bullets at once as possible; this is how you build up a chain. It takes a little practice, but soon you'll be racking up 800+ hit chains like the pros. Button 3 transforms your plane into a robot in disguise.

[Diabollokus]

I have saturn pachis and the way to survive is dodging unless your man enough to stand in the bullets way.

2 shot types and a bomb button.

[Neon]

i dont understand how you can be expected to live for that long

Wait till you see Dai ou Jou

Aside from mannerbot's excellent advice , you're supposed to 'chain' enemies, though that's a scoring method and you don't really need to worry about it until after you've stopped having problems surviving but you do it by shooting a large amount of enemies, the chain count will go up, but if the meter in the top left runs down you'll lose the chain.

You could always check out MARP for a replay to see how the pro's do it. Should be a few 1 credit clears on there.

[janrodricks]

i dont understand how you can be expected to live for that long

You could always check out MARP for a replay to see how the pro's do it. Should be a few 1 credit clears on there.

im looking at the help page for playing recordings, but it still failing 'to load ddonpach for playback'

what folder do i extract the .inp and .wlf files to?

[mannerbot]

The .inp files go into the "inp" folder, make sure you have the same ROM as the input file you're trying to watch as well as the same version of MAME.

[janrodricks]

whoa, ikaruga is awesome

[janrodricks]

alright, so i can finally make it through the first level of dodonpachi on one credit. haha

and i guessed right - shmumps have ended up being some of the most fun i've ever had playing video games

[captain ahar]

In Dodonpachi the whole point of the game is to run into as many bullets at once as possible; this is how you build up a chain. It takes a little practice, but soon you'll be racking up 800+ hit chains like the pros. Button 3 transforms your plane into a robot in disguise.

oh mannerbot, you are a such a kidder. and yes, janrodricks, just wait until you see Daiohjou.

welcome to the forums.

[freddiebamboo]

http://shmups.com/beepreying/old/strategy/index.html

This should help DDP being such a pain in the arse

The dude who wrote this is a legend for taking the time to do this, certainly helped me get to grips with it

[Dandy J]

Well Ikaruga is a must-have. Everybody plays Ikaruga, even if you don't like it! It's harder than most shooters, especially if you're starting out, but it's a lot of fun and has great production values.

I'm going to reccomend Shikigami no Shiro 2 as a good first game. The bullets move pretty slow, the hitbox is small, and the game has a smooth ramp in terms of difficulty. It also has lots of levels, and lots of characters with different types for each, so you'll get a lot of additional replay value tacked on.

Gunbird 2 and Mars Matrix are great, but a bit daunting for someone just starting. Mars Matrix especially since the difficulty ramps up pretty quick. Gunbird 2 takes a bit to get really difficult.

As for PS2, Gradius V is phenomenal. If you import, I'd reccomend ESPGaluda and DoDonpachi Dai Ou Jou. ESPGaluda is very manageable for a beginner, while DDPDOJ is fucking brutal.

[janrodricks]

Well Ikaruga is a must-have. Everybody plays Ikaruga, even if you don't like it! It's harder than most shooters, especially if you're starting out, but it's a lot of fun and has great production values.

I'm going to reccomend Shikigami no Shiro 2 as a good first game. The bullets move pretty slow, the hitbox is small, and the game has a smooth ramp in terms of difficulty. It also has lots of levels, and lots of characters with different types for each, so you'll get a lot of additional replay value tacked on.

Gunbird 2 and Mars Matrix are great, but a bit daunting for someone just starting. Mars Matrix especially since the difficulty ramps up pretty quick. Gunbird 2 takes a bit to get really difficult.

As for PS2, Gradius V is phenomenal. If you import, I'd reccomend ESPGaluda and DoDonpachi Dai Ou Jou. ESPGaluda is very manageable for a beginner, while DDPDOJ is fucking brutal.

Thanks! I'm already looking into getting all those DC ones. And I took a look at some screens from Shikigami no Shiro 2 and it looks really cool.

Both ESPGaluda and DDPOJ are both ones I plan on getting. I have heard that DDPOJ is, as you said, fuckin brutal, but what made me really wanna get it was the 'no bullet' mode. That sounds like an awesome feature

[janrodricks]

Oh, and in various places I've heard ESPRa.De mentioned, but I can't seem to find any info on it. What system was that for?

[BulletMagnet]

ESP Ra.de is arcade-only, unfortunately...however, ESPGaluda has an extra mode which adds the "piercing gun" and its scoring system from Ra.de into Galuda's existing engine...oh, and makes the game even harder.

[janrodricks]

Ok, now about getting a Japanese PS2: while reading older posts here, I saw someone mention that they're pretty cheap. And since the PS2 has been out for a while I just figured they'd be pretty cheap. But on play-asia they were listed for close to $300. What gives?

[BulletMagnet]

It's just a guess, but I doubt that PS2s will get particularly cheap until the PS3 is out and no one wants the old systems much anymore...I got my import PS2, an old model, used, for about 150$ plus shipping, and that's less than what most go for, in my experience anyways. So I'd expect to pay at least that much for the time being unless you get a deal from someone on the forum (which has been known to happen, just ask BIG).

[janrodricks]

Hmm...well, more than 150 isn't bad...280 or something though...that seems a little too close to full price. But I'm gonna check on that more tomorrow, I've gotta go to bed

What about power consumption - would I need to get a converter so it could run in America?

[BulletMagnet]

My JPS2 plugs into a regular ol' outlet and plays just fine, just like an American PS2 would: afaik, the only console difference that can be a pain in that area is if you get a PAL (Europe) console (or a person in Europe gets an NTSC [US/Japan] one), as there's a 10 hertz difference in the power supplies for each, or something along those lines...

[SPACE HARRIER]

the only console difference that can be a pain in that area is if you get a PAL (Europe) console (or a person in Europe gets an NTSC [US/Japan] one), as there's a 10 hertz difference in the power supplies for each, or something along those lines...

NTSC, 525 TV Lines, 15.734 kHz, 60 Hz.
PAL, 625 TV Lines, 15.625 kHz, 50 Hz.

Always go for the 60 hz if you can,because the gamespeed is about 20% faster! (in most new games from Europe you can choose 50/60 hz from the options)
Only the picture is a bit sharper on PAL.

[janrodricks]

Oh holy crap I finally got a B on the first level of Ikaruga on easy. I didn't realize you could continue chains by killing other colors, as long as you didn't break the individual chain of three.